What to expect
What you will do
Ways to pay
All you need to know
It’s a short flight to Keflavik and then a four-hour transfer to our starting point. We drive through landscape almost lunar in appearance, passing by Hekla – Iceland’s most famous active volcano. Our campsite is at Landmannalaugar, in the heart of southern Iceland’s thermal area. We’ll have dinner and can bathe in the hot springs. Darkness lasts for just three hours, so do your best to sleep.
Today’s biggest challenge is the snow which moves and slips beneath our feet. Near our highest point of 3,600ft we pass Storihver, a large hot spring. After lunch we’ll walk through glistening black opsidium rock fields with views over valleys, glaciers and snowfields. We follow the Jokultungur Ridge, descend over the scree and cross one final river before reaching the Álftavatn Valley. Dinner and overnight here.
Today we leave the rhyolite landscape behind us, heading into the glacial areas and fast running streams of the Myradalsjokull Icecap. Be prepared to get chilly as we wade through ice-cold streams in Bláfjallakvisi. We then climb down to the oasis at Hvangngil, before trekking through desert-like passes to our home for the night, the Emstrur Hut. We will be camping next to a stream here.
Our final walk offers amazing views of the Markarfljót gorge and bridged Ljorsa fissure, as well as river crossings. This spectacular 58km trek climaxes with a steep drop into Thorsmörk, surrounded by giant glaciers and raging rivers. After some time to reflect on our achievement and take the obligatory photos, we will head back to Iceland’s capital Reykjavík to celebrate in style.
Spend the morning discovering what makes Reykjavik so special. The world’s most northerly capital.
BELIEVE >> ACHIEVE >> INSPIRE